


The end of the beginning

by Space_Lurker



Category: Hyper Light Drifter
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Family Feels, Feels, M/M, Separation Anxiety
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-29
Updated: 2020-01-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:27:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22465642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Space_Lurker/pseuds/Space_Lurker
Summary: Short stories related to hyper light drifter. The game. Just whatever i think of.
Relationships: The Drifter/The Guardian (Hyper Light Drifter)
Kudos: 11





	The end of the beginning

The cold air was piercing his skin, wind ruthlessly blowing hard in his face when all he wanted was a peaceful night, though it would be anything but.  
The drifter’s fire had gotten blown out in the time he'd been sleeping, making this awakening even crueler—so cruel that it made him shake with anxiety, the unknown of the darkness killing him with a sense of dread that was completely new to him. He had never felt this way before, he'd been through nearly hell and back, but this was a horrible feeling that he couldn't just shake off like his previous misfortunes. Loneliness was killing him; He hadn't seen the town folk in the place he had called home for nearly three years and life with the guardian gone was bringing him down into a hopeless, bottomless spiral.  
Not knowing what else to do, he only curled up in a ball—his legs up, knees to his chest and his arms wrapped tightly around them. Drifter was still cold even in this position, but there was nothing left he could do. He would just sit there in the freezing wind and keep to his own thoughts.  
Three long years had passed since his final fight with Judgement, a bloody and unforgiving journey that was had at that time. It was also the year he'd seen his only real friend, the guardian, pass on, right before his eyes after telling his tale; The man had lost his family to disease, a tragic story he would never forget because he knew how much it had hurt the man, even in his final moments. The warrior's sorrows were passed to him after it all, it seemed.  
Drifter laughed to himself at how childish he felt. Back home he still had the man's gear in his closet, it was given to him during the guardian's final breaths. It was obviously intended for it to be worn, but he couldn't do that—not with something that was worn during many battles, perhaps even ones worse than the battles the drifter himself had been through and fought. He found it foolish for him to be treasuring such a thing, something that would lead to the horrible thoughts of the past, but he always kept it in the end. Drifter knew he couldn't let it go, especially if he couldn't keep the thoughts back forever, even with it gone.

The drifter fell to his side, shivering arms still tightly clenched around his legs. Maybe he would die out in the cold, but would his life leading up to this very moment be worth it? It would be an un-honorable death, but drifter accepted this if it were to be his fate.  
His teeth clattered under his masked face, eyes closing when he finally accepted the harsh cold he was left to. Yes, this may be the end, as there was no time to wait out the wind. The snow he lay in was now his deathbed. He pondered to himself if it would be so bad, and if he'd see the guardian once more in some kind of afterlife. The drifter smiled best he could through the clattering, his final thoughts would be his favorite part of the journey that was now coming to an end.  
He'd breathe in once, letting it all out after, a cloud of his breath hitting the cold air would blow away with the rest of the wind. He breathed in and out again, then one last time.  
After those breaths, there would be no more air circulating through his body—the pumping of blood coming to a halt. Drifter's body was now lifeless, arms around his legs becoming loose and falling into the snow.

“Drifter,” a voice called out, faint crackling was heard in the distance when the voice went quiet. “The food is going to run cold if you stay sleeping, Drifter.” It called out once more in a playful tone, causing the other to stir.

Drifter awoke, body aching from the position he had fallen asleep in. He let out a groan when he looked over to the guardian, who was sitting criss cross by the fire, bowl at his hands. Was that all really just a dream? The life he lived, the death he saw first hand, all in his head?  
“You gonna come over here and grab a bite to eat? There's plenty for the two of us.” The guardian said meekly, lifting up his bowl to show off the food he'd made all on his own. Drifter smiled as he groggily got himself up, even though he knew the other wouldn't see the relief in his expression, hidden behind the mask.  
“Yes, of course. Thank you.” He'd say calmly as he made his way over to the fire with the guardian, taking a seat beside him. He wanted to cry out and question what was going on and what happened before he woke up, but he kept quiet.

Dream, reality or afterlife. The drifter was happy with wherever he was in that peaceful moment by the fire.


End file.
